"Go! Ouyang Yue must die!" Whether Mu Cuiwei lives or dies is irrelevant to them, but they must complete the task assigned by the Crown Prince.
On the other side, Zi Er and Zi San ran ahead and had already distanced themselves from the others. The two ran deep into the woods before stopping.
Zi Er angrily said, "Why did you hold me back before? Zi Si is dead! Ouyang Yue is too hateful. Not only did she seriously injure my eldest sister so she can't move, but now Zi Si is dead too. I want to kill her!"
Zi San frowned: "Do you want to die for nothing? If you live, you can avenge your elder sister and fourth sister's sorrows. What's the point of you dying?" Zi Er gradually fell silent, then suddenly said, "Eldest sister can't move anymore. Master doesn't need her anymore. We are still useful. If we do well, we can still ask Master to avenge us." After Zi Yi returned for treatment and was found to be crippled, the Holy King sent someone to take Zi Yi away the next day, without saying where she was sent. But the sisters understood that Zi Yi had been dealt with, and Master didn't need useless people around him. Zi Si also died, but Master didn't even frown, because they were born for Master, and their deaths were for Master. In Master's eyes, there were only two possibilities: useful and useless. There was no third possibility.
Zi San silently stared at Zi Er, wondering if her master should avenge them. When her master left, she said something to Zi Er and Zi Si that she hadn't said to either of them: "If Ouyang Yue comes out alive, you are not allowed to cause her any trouble in the future."
She only showed a slight expression of confusion and surprise, while her master smiled strangely. Previously, upon hearing the news of Ouyang Yue's disappearance, her master had sent people to search for and protect her. After arriving in the Great Zhou, she ordered them to kill Ouyang Yue, and now, after the beauty pageant, she wanted to withdraw. She truly didn't understand her master's thoughts, but she did understand that if they couldn't kill Ouyang Yue here, it would be impossible for them to act after leaving. However…
Zi San looked at Zi Er, but ultimately didn't say anything. Zi Er continued to curse Ouyang Yue through gritted teeth, yet both of them tacitly remained inside. Now that they were separated from their own people, and even if they hadn't, escaping and killing Ouyang Yue wouldn't be easy. The best course of action was to wait five days and four nights before escaping. Zi Si was now dead, and although the two were anxious to find her body, they couldn't risk going out; they could only wait.
Meanwhile, Ouyang Yue and the others had already begun searching and pursuing the three groups based on their escape routes. They saw a group of people surrounding and attacking them, and they were determined to eliminate any potential threats.
Time passed gradually, the sun set and rose again, and it was already dusk on the fifth day, which was the time for the competition to end.
During these five days and four nights, Emperor Mingxian and his entourage naturally wouldn't stay on guard the entire time. He only stayed for half a day on the first day and then didn't appear again. Those with some reputation also wouldn't stay here to guard the place. They left a few servants to listen for news and then went back to rest. Only a few curious commoners brought some food and waited here to watch. After all, although the competition lasted for five days and four nights, those who had given up earlier would have come out earlier. However, apart from the booming sound on the first day, there was no other major activity inside, and it was quite boring to stay here.
Fortunately, the five days passed quickly. Now the sun is setting in the west, and time is almost up, but no one has come out yet. Emperor Mingxian naturally cannot be absent during this final time, as it is also the time to reveal the winner of this year's beauty pageant. Everyone is eagerly waiting, but as time goes by, everyone is getting anxious.
Emperor Mingxian frowned, and finally couldn't help but order, "Men, open the door and search inside." He had been worried since hearing about the explosion on the first day, and seeing that no one had come out yet, he became even more anxious and could no longer tolerate it.
The seven judges were speechless at this point, since time was up. If all three teams had died inside, there had to be some result to report. Emperor Mingxian had sent people in to investigate.
"Ah, they're coming out, someone's coming out!" Someone shouted, and everyone's eyes were drawn to the hunting ground gate. There was a group of people, their clothes were a bit disheveled, and they had lost two horses. The other eight people were riding horses, but they all looked very energetic.
"That...that's Miss Ouyang!"
"Miss Ouyang came out first, will she be the champion!" The crowd discussed in surprise. Emperor Mingxian was also stunned when he saw Ouyang Yue, then smiled slightly. After all, they were all people of the Great Zhou. It didn't matter whether she or Mu Cuiwei was the first.
A cold glint flashed in Baili Cheng's eyes as he saw Ouyang Yue; the mission had failed. Baili Jian, however, noticed a glint in his eyes as he looked at Ouyang Yue, and a smile unexpectedly appeared on his lips.
"Congratulations on your safe return, Miss Ouyang. Now we are just waiting for Miss Zi Si and Miss Mu Cuiwei, and then we can announce the end of the competition." Mr. Qi said with a smile to Ouyang Yue. She nodded slightly and sat down. However, as time passed, half an hour had gone by, but there was still no news from inside. Mr. Qi couldn't help but ask, "Miss Ouyang, do you know why Miss Mu Cuiwei and Miss Zi Si have not come out yet?"
Ouyang Yue simply smiled faintly, her eyes sweeping over the face of the Miao Jiang Holy King, and said, "I don't know."
"Uh!" Mr. Qi paused for a moment, naturally not wanting to ask any more questions.
"Oh my god, who is that?!" Another scream rang out, and everyone gasped as a blood-covered figure suddenly emerged from within, causing them to scream in terror.
"Cuiwei, my Cuiwei, what happened to you?" Yuan Shi suddenly shouted from the stands, leading people to help Mu Cuiwei up. Ouyang Yue frowned slightly when she saw this. She hadn't found Mu Cuiwei inside before, but she didn't expect Mu Cuiwei to be so injured. It seemed that she had suffered some torment afterward. Mu Cuiwei collapsed as soon as she was helped up.
"Two more have come out." Everyone looked and saw Zi Er and Zi San riding out slowly. Everyone was stunned. Where was Zi Si? Looking at Mu Cuiwei, they all remained silent. Emperor Mingxian waved his hand, and two teams went in to search. After a good half hour, the team reported back that there was no one else inside except for them. It was as if they had disappeared into thin air. This news immediately shocked everyone present, and then their eyes swept over Ouyang Yue and Zi Er and Zi San.
"Ouyang Yue, you venomous woman, it was all your doing! I never thought you were so ruthless, to have harmed me like this! You deserve to die!" Suddenly, Mu Cuiwei, who had been unconscious, jumped up and shouted. Just now, when she was helped back, Yuan Shi saw that she had lost her right ear and her hand and immediately fainted. The servants hurriedly found a doctor to treat Mu Cuiwei, but they found that Mu Cuiwei's right arm was completely useless, and her left hand had been crushed by a heavy object. Without even mentioning the heavy object, it meant that both her hands were useless.
Upon hearing this, Madam Yuan began to sob and cry. Mu Cuiwei, however, shouted angrily and knelt on the ground with a thud, crying, "Your Majesty, Ouyang Yue used vile and filthy methods to attack me, a fellow citizen of the Great Zhou! She is ruthless and cruel; she killed everyone inside. Not only is she unworthy of being the champion, but she has also committed the heinous crime of indiscriminate killing of innocent people. She deserves to be punished! I am like this... I am like this because of her. I only escaped death by faking my own. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for me!"
This beauty pageant is about talent. Although the hunt is dangerous, it was originally only for fierce prey. No one expected the killing between people. Looking at Mu Cuiwei's miserable state, anyone would feel sorry for her. This girl's life is ruined. She has no hope left. Her gaze towards Ouyang Yue is filled with disgust.
Baili Cheng sneered: "Yes, indiscriminate killing of innocent people in the Great Zhou Dynasty deserves to be beheaded, and killing more than a dozen people at once is enough to warrant the death penalty by slow slicing!"
Emperor Mingxian narrowed his eyes, looking at Mu Cuiwei's miserable state, and then at Ouyang Yue's team, who were unharmed but somewhat disheveled. He immediately began to believe it. However, under the watchful eyes of the five kingdoms, he could not let Ouyang Yue, who had committed such a crime, escape, otherwise he would become a laughing stock: "Guards, seize Ouyang Yue! Execute her immediately!"
"Wait!" The Holy King of Miao Jiang suddenly spoke, looking at Ouyang Yue and her group: "Since Ouyang Yue has committed a serious crime, then her whole group is an accomplice. All ten of them should be executed immediately. Has Emperor Mingxian forgotten this?"
The people present dared not breathe. Among them were the Seventh Prince Baili Chen, the First General Xuan Yuan Chaohua, Leng Caiwen (a direct descendant of the Leng family), and Dai Yu (a high-ranking official). None of them were to be trifled with. However, Mu Cuiwei's accusations were indeed well-founded. Even if Ouyang Yue and the others refuted her now, others would only say that she was trying to exonerate herself. The disparity in their circumstances and the difference in their experiences were too great. Mu Cuiwei's claim that Ouyang Yue had committed the murders was absolutely the most credible one at the moment!
Baili Cheng sneered and suddenly said, "Father, the laws and etiquette of the Great Zhou are very strict. Anyone who dares to do such a thing should be punished accordingly."
After careful consideration, Baili Jian also said, "Father, the Crown Prince is right. Ouyang Yue must be punished!"
Whether to punish or not, everyone was shocked. The evidence against Ouyang Yue and the others was irrefutable, and even if Emperor Mingxian wanted to exonerate them, it would be impossible. Moreover, Baili Chen's actions in front of the five kingdoms were a slap in the face to the Great Zhou royal family. To put it more seriously, he could also be stripped of his princely title.
Emperor Mingxian glanced at Baili Cheng and Baili Jian with a cold look, then turned to Ouyang Yue, his eyes filled with murderous intent. As the captain of the ten-person team, Ouyang Yue was bound to take responsibility for the mistakes of her teammates. Ouyang Yue was doomed!
☆、146、Establish authority!
Emperor Mingxian was in a dilemma. If he executed Ouyang Yue, the other nine would naturally also be punished for the same crime. However, he could not touch Baili Chen and Xuanyuan Chaohua, the other nine. No matter what the reason, he should try his best to suppress this matter. However, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Mu Cuiwei's miserable state was clearly the result of torture. If he did not deal with it, it would surely chill the hearts of the people. Emperor Mingxian's face was ugly, and he did not speak for a moment.
Ouyang Yue stood quietly to the side, carefully observing Mu Cuiwei. When they were ambushing and killing the two groups of people inside, they had also searched for Mu Cuiwei's whereabouts. However, because of the short time and the limited manpower, as well as other matters to attend to, it took them a full three days to eliminate all these people. Therefore, in the remaining two days, they had to hunt some prey to make it look like they were doing something else. Naturally, it would be much more difficult to find Mu Cuiwei, Zi Er, and Zi San. However, Mu Cuiwei was quite lucky. Seeing that she had all these injuries, she actually managed to walk out of there without dying inside. This made Ouyang Yue quite curious about how Mu Cuiwei had been living these past few days.
That day, Mu Cuiwei was beaten so badly by Ling Rui that she was completely powerless to fight back, and Ling Rui had gone all out. In fact, Mu Cuiwei was bound to die. However, Mu Cuiwei was quick-witted. When Ling Rui kicked her away, she suddenly held her breath and pretended to be dead the moment she fell to the ground. Ling Rui and his guards, who had clearly seen how badly Mu Cuiwei was injured and how badly she had been beaten, naturally didn't have much faith in her. Little did they know that Mu Cuiwei was actually faking her death. After Ling Rui and the others left, Mu Cuiwei quickly dragged herself away and hid. She also tried her best to erase all traces along the way, which is why she was not found.
Finally, she calculated the time and came out at the last moment. Did Mu Cuiwei hate Ling Rui and the others? Of course she hated them! How dare someone beat her so badly! If she had the chance, she would have slashed each of them hundreds of times to vent her hatred. But she hated Ouyang Yue even more. If it weren't for Ouyang Yue, would she have lost her ears or her arm? It was all Ouyang Yue's fault. Her first enemy was Ouyang Yue. Besides, Ling Rui was the Crown Prince's man. When she came out and didn't see Ling Rui and the others, they must have died inside. The Crown Prince had entrusted these people to her to help her. She knew that with their abilities, they were highly valued by the Crown Prince. If they died like this, how could the Crown Prince let her off easily? After thinking it over, it was the most reasonable thing to put all the blame on Ouyang Yue.
Under the watchful eyes of all five kingdoms, it will be extremely difficult for Ouyang Yue to survive!
However, when Mu Cuiwei's cold gaze swept over Ouyang Yue, she saw that the latter was standing very calmly, with even a faint smile on her lips. Mu Cuiwei frowned. Ouyang Yue was about to die and was still pretending to be calm. She deserved it!
Emperor Mingxian's eyes turned cold. His years of imperial majesty and domineering presence made everyone present afraid to even look at him. They held their breath, awaiting his judgment. Seeing that Ouyang Yue's face remained calm, without the slightest hint of guilt or panic, he couldn't help but say, "Ouyang Yue, as the team leader, you must bear the responsibility for any right or wrong. Do you plead guilty to Miss Mu's accusations? Have you harmed innocent people within the Great Zhou Realm, committing acts that are utterly heinous? Speak!"
Ouyang Yue gave a slight bow, and then put on a respectful expression, saying, "Your Majesty, I don't know what Miss Mu is talking about, and I am very confused. After entering the hunting grounds, I worked hard to hunt and did not do what Miss Mu mentioned."
"Ouyang Yue, you're lying! The injuries on my body were inflicted by you. You slashed my ears and hands yourself. I still remember your hideous and cruel face. How dare you say you didn't know?" Mu Cuiwei roared angrily.
Yuan also said coldly, "Ouyang Yue, you have committed such a heinous crime, and now you still want to get away with it? You're dreaming! If you know what's good for you, you'd better confess your crime and I might give you a quick death. Otherwise, hmph!"
Ouyang Yue glanced sideways and said, "Madam, I know you're upset because Miss Mu is so badly injured, but you can't just arrest one person and call them the murderer. What evidence do you have? Besides, the Emperor is here asking questions, why are you interrupting?"
Madam Yuan was taken aback and noticed the Emperor's unfriendly look at her. She dared not be presumptuous anymore, but she looked at Ouyang Yue with such hatred that she wished she could devour her alive. Her Cuiwei was ruined just like that. She would never let this go until she made this little bitch pay with her life!
"You don't admit it? Miss Mu is so badly injured, while your team of ten is completely unharmed. How do you explain this?" Emperor Mingxian looked at Ouyang Yue, then at Baili Chen and the others, his tone becoming noticeably calmer.
Ouyang Yue laughed: "Your Majesty, I truly do not know why Miss Mu is so badly injured. I observe that only two women remain on the Miao side, and even their captain is missing. Their situation is quite similar to Miss Mu's. I wonder if I could inquire about their circumstances? Although the Miao team may be trying to pin the blame on me because I hunted more prey, it doesn't matter. Being wronged by one person is still wrong, and being wronged by another person makes no difference to me."
Upon hearing this, everyone paused in surprise. Yes, they had instinctively believed Mu Cuiwei's story based on her tragic condition, assuming Ouyang Yue was behind it. But now it seemed that even Miao Si, one of the participants from Miao Jiang, was missing, leaving only eight members who were completely disqualified from the competition. Their situation was equally dire, very similar to Mu Cuiwei's, and it looked like a lose-lose situation. As for cooperation between the two teams, that was impossible. They were from different countries, and if they were to cooperate to kill Ouyang Yue, it would be a treasonous crime, far more serious than Ouyang Yue's indiscriminate killing of innocents.
It's possible that Ouyang Yue's team killed Mu Cuiwei and the Miao Jiang team, causing them heavy losses, but the likelihood is extremely low. Both teams were composed of elites who could enter the hunting grounds. While Ouyang Yue's team had Xuan Yuan Chaohua, the Great Zhou's top general, and several guards, it included three women. Even if their martial arts were high, they couldn't be that superior. Baili Chen, as a prince, hadn't received much martial arts training from childhood; he was the weakest, born with a serious illness that caused him to cough up blood frequently. He was only going in for fun and excitement; these people were too busy protecting him to actually fight. And Leng Caiwen was a charming playboy; while he possessed martial arts skills, they weren't high enough to take on ten or twenty opponents single-handedly. By all accounts, Ouyang Yue's team had the weakest fighting force. Many people present bet on Ouyang Yue losing, instinctively feeling she couldn't win the championship. Thinking about it this way, the only possible outcome was that Mu Cuiwei lost.
The more these people thought about it, the more their imaginations ran wild, which was exactly what Ouyang Yue wanted. Their team had already adopted a weak stance; although Mu Cuiwei's appearance was convincing, it was ultimately only one person's story. Even if they stubbornly refused to admit it, no one could stop them. Even if Emperor Mingxian and the others wanted to kill her, there were still Baili Chen, Xuanyuan Chaohua, and others—no one would act rashly. She thought Emperor Mingxian would prefer her to be innocent now, otherwise, it wouldn't be good to implicate his precious prince. As for the Miao Jiang team also accusing her, although it would be troublesome, it wouldn't be a big deal. She naturally had ways to escape punishment; they had discussed it before finding Zi Er and Zi San, so there was nothing to fear.
"Hmm." Emperor Mingxian responded lightly, then turned to look at Zi Er and Zi San and said, "According to Miss Mu, Ouyang Yue also targeted you, but that's the truth."
Zi Er glanced at Ouyang Yue with a cold face, about to accuse her, but Zi San interrupted, "No!"
"What! You're lying!" Mu Cuiwei's first thought was that she had misheard, and then she scolded him. However, Zi San didn't even look at her, and Zi Er looked at Zi San with suspicion, but suddenly fell silent under Zi San's gaze.
Among the four women, Zi Yi is the best in martial arts, Zi Si is the most talented and the most well-rounded, Zi San is the most intelligent and meticulous, and they are not good at those tracking techniques, while Zi Er is more impulsive and has a colder personality, but she is the most indecisive. There must be a reason why Zi San is doing this, so she will listen to her.
Emperor Mingxian, however, found it amusing and said, "Oh, no? Then how come eight of your men have died?"
Zi San respectfully reported, "Reporting to Emperor Mingxian, eight members of our team died because of these two beasts." Zi San pointed, and many people saw the two large creatures at the feet of Zi Er and Zi San—two tigers. Because only Zi Er and Zi San had come out before, and the team was missing so many people, everyone was discussing and hadn't noticed other details. But seeing this, they couldn't help but be shocked. These two tigers were definitely ferocious creatures. Some adult tigers might be no match for ten strong men, who would only be able to run away. Their team had actually fought off two of them; it was truly remarkable.
"Because these two tigers, could they have died while hunting them?" Emperor Mingxian asked, squinting his eyes.
Zi San replied, "That's right. We hadn't gone far when we encountered one of them. When Captain Zi Si saw such a ferocious beast, he was filled with hunting desire and led the two of them to chase after it. We waited on the original path, but not long after, Zi Si led the men to run back frantically. It turned out that this tiger had a companion. They not only failed to hunt it but also caused trouble. The team was chased and was in a sorry state, and had no choice but to fight them. In the end, although the team won, the captain and the other seven members died while hunting the two tigers."
"Oh, so it wasn't Ouyang Yue and her team who did it? But where are the bodies?" Baili Cheng couldn't help but ask. If what Zi San said was true, then Mu Cuiwei's claim that Ouyang Yue killed more than ten members of two teams was clearly a lie. Even if it was true that Ouyang Yue attacked Mu Cuiwei's team members, it wouldn't be very credible to others.
Zi San glanced at Baili Cheng indifferently and said coldly, "He was eaten by the beasts of the hunting grounds, bones and all."
"Hiss!" Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines. But if what Zi San said was true, it was indeed possible. At that time, Zi Si and the others were already dead and completely unprepared. It was possible that they were eaten. The royal hunting grounds even had ferocious beasts like tigers, as well as packs of wolves and other ferocious beasts. Such a possibility was indeed possible.
Baili Cheng was also taken aback, his eyes turning cold: "Then why were these two tigers brought out by you?"
"At that time, the pair of tigers were chasing me and Zi Er, but they were already seriously injured when they fought with Zi Si and the others. In the end, they couldn't outlast us because they were too exhausted, so we took the opportunity to kill them." After saying this, Zi San stopped talking and stared at Baili Cheng.
Baili Cheng's face darkened, but he was speechless. Zi San's explanation was plausible, and everyone present knew that Zi Yi had been injured by Ouyang Yue. They had no reason to lie for Ouyang Yue, and although her explanation was concise, it was flawless, making it impossible to find any key issues immediately. This greatly increased its credibility. On the contrary, Mu Cuiwei was lying earlier.
Mu Cuiwei was startled and immediately cried out, "I'm not lying, I'm not lying! You were clearly present when Ouyang Yue was killing me, and you were there when my ear was cut off! How dare you lie through your teeth! You will all die a horrible death!"
Zi San frowned and remained silent. Although Zi Er was quite angry, he could only keep a cold face and not say anything. Mu Cuiwei's incessant shouting only made her seem more and more like a joke.
Ouyang Yue sneered at Mu Cuiwei: "Although I can understand Miss Mu's feelings of being injured and losing a teammate, such malicious slander is truly despicable. I dare say I never took the initiative to attack Miss Mu. What is the meaning of Miss Mu's current ruthless killing? We are all citizens of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and our fathers are all officials in the court. Is it meaningful to kill each other like this? Wouldn't it just make us a laughing stock? Miss Mu has injured her body, and her brain has been injured as well?"
Ouyang Yue's words were utterly blunt, causing Mu Cuiwei to tremble violently. She felt a sharp, throbbing pain in her muscles from the hatred. What she said was true. Even if they had attacked first, it was a fact that Ouyang Yue had killed her team. It was one thing to deal with the people Fu Meier had borrowed from her and the people she had originally prepared in her residence, but five of them were the Crown Prince's men! How was she going to explain this to the Crown Prince? If she didn't drag Ouyang Yue down with her, wouldn't she be in even worse shape?
What's infuriating is that she never expected Zi San to suddenly change her story and tell such a nonsensical lie, which conveniently resolved the doubts others had about Ouyang Yue. That is, Ouyang Yue couldn't explain why Mu Cuiwei's team was involved. But now that she and Mu Cuiwei are confronting each other, they can only stick to their own stories, and neither of them will be convicted because of this. However, Mu Cuiwei is suspected of lying first.
Mu Cuiwei was furious and straightened up to rebuke him again, but Mu Liquan suddenly covered her mouth and sighed, "Cuiwei is seriously injured and exhausted. We should help her back to recover quickly." If they continued to make a scene, it would only make them lose face. Although Mu Cuiwei and Ouyang Yue had no connection with the court and were not framing loyal officials, Ouyang Yue's team still included the Seventh Prince and Xuanyuan Chaohua. If things got out of hand, Mu Cuiwei would not only be beheaded, but they would also be in danger.
Who does Mu Cuiwei think she is, trying to make Baili Chen and the others lose their heads? She'd have to be the one to lose hers first. At this moment, Mu Liren doesn't want to become a target for the Crown Prince and the Third Prince in their efforts to eliminate the Seventh Prince; that would be far too unworthy.
Mu Cuiwei suddenly fell silent, and the others understood that this was Mu Liquan's way of protecting her. Something seemed to flash in Emperor Mingxian's sharp black eyes, but he only said, "Miss Mu is so badly injured, she really needs to rest. After all, she is a contestant. Miss Ouyang, what do you think is the best way to handle this?"
Ouyang Yue glanced at Emperor Mingxian. Judging from the evidence on the surface, it was clear that Mu Cuiwei had made malicious accusations. However, Emperor Mingxian obviously did not want to make a big fuss about it. He had only two intentions in letting her speak: either to let her resolve the awkward situation, or to make her relentless and do the same thing as Mu Cuiwei. In that case, they would be evenly matched, and this matter could be resolved naturally.
Ouyang Yue thought for a moment and then said, "This humble woman does not know how to treat injuries. Miss Mu is injured, shouldn't we call a doctor to treat her?"
Emperor Mingxian paused for a moment, his eyes lowered slightly, his scrutinizing gaze like a sword shooting towards Ouyang Yue. After a while, Emperor Mingxian looked at Mu Liquan with affection: "That's right. Summon my imperial physician to treat Miss Mu. I think it's best to check on Miss Mu in the tent over there first. If there's nothing serious, then we can carefully send her back."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." Mu Liquan breathed a slight sigh of relief. The Emperor's actions meant he wouldn't blame them, and everyone nodded in agreement with Emperor Mingxian's actions. Even if Mu Cuiwei's malicious framing of Ouyang Yue was despicable, seeing Mu Cuiwei's condition was truly pitiful. Such a fine young woman had been so cruelly wronged, and she herself couldn't even explain how she was injured. Therefore, they forgave her for everything. After all, although Ouyang Yue was framed, she was unharmed, a hundred times better off than Mu Cuiwei. Everyone sympathized with the weaker party, and this matter was thus closed.
Ouyang Yue, however, didn't feel anything. It was normal for Mu Cuiwei to be rescued, and the key was that she was able to escape danger today. There was no need to dwell on this, otherwise, being unreasonable would only damage her original advantageous position. She wouldn't risk losing more than she gained; it wouldn't be worth it.
"Waaah, I'm not lying, I'm not lying, it's Ouyang Yue, it's Ouyang Yue!" Mu Cuiwei cried out upon hearing this. She had lost her ear, her arm was crippled, and she had countless injuries all over her body. She had been in an invincible position, but suddenly everything had turned upside down. Ouyang Yue was completely unharmed. How could this be? How could this be!
Then all her injuries were for nothing. In her current state, it's impossible for her to marry into a good family. She was ruined by Ouyang Yue, and we're just going to let it go like this? Why should we?
Mu Cuiwei struggled to get up to explain, but Mu Liquan's eyebrows twitched. He immediately gave a signal, and a maid stuffed a wad of cloth into Mu Cuiwei's mouth. Servants then helped her to the tent to wait for the imperial physician. Mu Cuiwei struggled several times and tried to get up again, but Mu Liquan ordered her to be tied to the bed. After several futile struggles, Mu Cuiwei finally calmed down, but the hatred in her heart continued to consume her. She hated it! No! This matter absolutely cannot be left like this! Absolutely not!
As soon as Mu Cuiwei left, Mr. Qi immediately began tallying up the three teams' spoils. The Miao Jiang team naturally got the two tiger carcasses. Although they were large and difficult to hunt, they only got two. Mu Cuiwei had broken her hand and fled for her life, so she didn't get any. As for Ouyang Yue's team, their prey consisted of nothing more than rabbits, deer, and pheasants. Although they weren't particularly challenging prey, they had killed eleven of them. Based on the number of kills, Ouyang Yue naturally won this time.
Qi Xianxian stroked his beard and smiled at Ouyang Yue, saying, "I now announce that the winner of this beauty pageant is Miss Ouyang Yue of the Great Zhou Dynasty! Second place goes to Miss Zi Si of Miao Jiang, and third place to Miss Mu Cuiwei of the Great Zhou Dynasty. As for Miss Zi Si, we still need to investigate her. If she ultimately fails to appear, her ranking will be vacant, and the next person in the ranking will take her place." If Zi Si dies, of course, she cannot occupy a ranking. In that case, Mu Cuiwei will be ranked second, and the next person in the ranking will take her place.
There was a lively discussion below, with some expressing regret for Zi Si and others reflecting on the beauty pageant, but most of the comments were applause.
"Oh, Miss Ouyang Yue is really amazing! She's the champion! She's the champion! Our Great Zhou Dynasty hasn't had a beauty pageant champion in twenty years."
"Absolutely! And this competition was the most exciting and thrilling one I've ever seen. Winning this championship is worth several previous ones. Amazing, amazing, truly amazing."
"Exactly. Although the other ladies from various countries performed well, they are incomparable to Miss Ouyang Yue. Moreover, Miss Ouyang Yue is not only impressive in martial arts, but also excels in both literature and martial arts. In addition, the more I look at her, the more beautiful she becomes. She is much better than those three ugly ones. Who was blind enough to say that Miss Ouyang Yue was one of the three ugly ones? Did a donkey kick their head?"
"I think she was trampled by a donkey. I'm afraid it was someone who was jealous of Miss Ouyang Yue who said that on purpose. If I find out who it was, I'll beat her so badly that even her own mother wouldn't recognize her."
"Call me when the time comes. This guy is so despicable; he's completely fooled us!"
"That's right, that's right..."
A wave of indignation swept through the audience. Indeed, Ouyang Yue was now the champion of the Langya Continent Beauty Pageant, the undisputed number one beauty, skilled in both literature and martial arts. Her previous reputation as an uneducated, arrogant, and domineering young lady, one of the "Three Ugliest Men in the Capital," had completely crumbled, becoming a laughingstock. Feeling deceived, how could they not be furious?
Hearing the angry shouts and curses, Ouyang Rou stiffened, her face pale, her eyes growing increasingly sinister as she looked at Ouyang Yue. She couldn't believe Ouyang Yue was so lucky; even Mu Cuiwei was badly injured, and someone with martial arts skills like Zi Si was dead, yet Ouyang Yue was still alive and well, and had even won the beauty pageant. From a young age, because of her superior status, no matter how outstanding she was, or how hard she worked, in the eyes of outsiders she was still just a concubine's daughter in the General's Mansion. Even if she tarnished Ouyang Yue's reputation, she could never surpass her in status. She was extremely resentful, and finally found a way to completely ruin Ouyang Yue's reputation. Even when Ouyang Yue forced someone to annul her engagement, she used the opportunity to have Hong Yicheng kill her, but Ouyang Yue didn't die; instead, she was now trampling her underfoot.
Ouyang Rou clenched her fists tightly. Why was God so unfair? Why did He give all the good things to Ouyang Yue?
"I am not satisfied with this result!" Just then, as if hearing Ouyang Rou's anger, someone suddenly shouted. Looking around, it was Princess Jiang Huan sitting next to the Prince of Daqian.
Mr. Qi's expression turned somewhat unpleasant as he said, "It's quite obvious that Miss Ouyang Yue has more prey and deserves to be number one. What objection does Princess Jiang Huan have?"
Jiang Huan looked at Ouyang Yue with a mocking gaze and sneered, "May I ask what the competition restrictions are on the Langya Continent?"
Mr. Qi was puzzled, but still said, "The beauty pageant of Langya Continent is held every five years. Only unmarried girls aged fourteen to eighteen can participate. In other words, every woman in Langya Continent can only participate once in her lifetime."